An urbane farm-to-table restaurant, The Table would be right at home in San Francisco's hip Mission District or Oakland's trendy Temescal neighborhood. But it has garnered an enthusiastic following in the quieter San Jose neighborhood of Willow Glen during the few short months since it opened.

The Table serves dinner every night -- later than many other places. The bar offers a variety of classic and creative cocktails still later. The restaurant also serves weekend brunch, plus lunch three days a week.

The Table is the brainchild of executive chef and restaurateur Jim Stump of Los Gatos Brewing Company and the former A.P. Stump's, which was a popular eatery in downtown San Jose. Stump teamed with A.P. Stump's alum Brian Nicholas as a partner and general manager to create a neighborhood restaurant that's sophisticated enough for a special night out, but comfortable enough to enjoy a good meal any time, which I most assuredly did.

One of the better dishes I've had all year was the beef cheeks ($22), braised to a near-perfect succulence and served with glorious (not-too-sweet) pickled beets and a mild buttermilk horseradish dressing that held the meat's richness in check.

Advertisement

The dinner menu, executed on a day-to-day basis by chef de cuisine Anthony Jimenez, is seasonally focused and succinct: just four main dishes in addition to the beef, with a slightly longer list of appetizers and shared plates. Rather than endless permutations of meat, poultry and seafood, I prefer the smaller range of well-produced dishes here.

The food and drink are surprisingly affordable compared to many places. One can easily order three courses and a glass of wine for $50, pretip.

The Table radiates an urban loft aesthetic with its distressed wood floors, high ceilings, exposed duct work, abstract paintings and wall murals of a giant pear and a wine bottle. By day, a wall of windows makes this a bright, inviting space. At night, dim lighting makes the large, open room feel cozy. Tables of reclaimed wood provide a balance to the stainless-steel bar and kitchen. One long communal table is available on a first-come, first-served basis, but it can be reserved for large parties.

The small, carefully crafted wine list blends interesting, affordable New and Old World selections, each served by the glass or bottle, and some available in half- or full-liter carafes.

The bread course, a crunchy pain epi from Acme, is served with a dollop of lightly salted ricotta and a beautiful, grassy olive oil.

We followed this with starters of roasted heirloom carrots ($8) and rabbit fritters ($6), a special the evening of our visit. The carrots were served with popcorn and toasted chicory. The popcorn made for a pretty presentation but didn't do much else for the dish; the sweet chicory was delightful. The rabbit fritters were crisp, juicy and flavorful.

Ling cod ($20), lightly coated in flour and fried, arrived on a bed of red cabbage with bacon and sour apple, which worked fine with the well-seasoned fish.

For dessert, chocolate pot de crème ($7) topped with hazelnuts and homemade marshmallows was good, but the butterscotch bread pudding ($7) was even better -- not too custardy, with crisp bits throughout and pecan brittle to finish.

On our 1 p.m. weekend brunch visit, there was a huge line across the street at the venerable Bill's, but we were seated quickly by The Table's welcoming host. The eclectic menu included a good mix of breakfast, lunch and in-between dishes that would appeal to both health-conscious and hearty eaters.

Bottomless mimosas ($8) were tempting, but the Ramos Fizz ($9) won out -- a refreshing and frothy morning cocktail with gin, orange flower water and egg whites.

A shaved porchetta sandwich ($9), topped with a fried egg and herbed ricotta, was served on a crusty roll with a smear of fig jam and hash browns alongside. Brunch couldn't get much better than that. Homemade pasta with sweet corn and mushrooms was nice. So was AJ's mom's tamale ($14), filled with pulled pork and served with chili beans and an egg. But both could have benefited from a bit more salt in the kitchen; it was only when I got a bite of beans with salty cotija cheese that the dish came to life.

Doughnuts ($5) for dessert didn't meet our expectations. Slightly overdone and a smidge too dense, they might have been helped by some jam or cream for dipping.

At dinner, the delay before we could order took too long; another time, so did the wait for dessert and ditto for the check. In a slight mishap, a server sent a piece of bread skidding though the blue cheese dressing on the salad plate; rather than removing and replacing the bread, he left it for us to deal with. But these were minor service infractions, and the helpful staff seemed to know a lot about the menu.

Residents of Willow Glen shouldn't be surprised to see strangers circling the block. The Table is a great restaurant -- one many outside the neighborhood will want to get to know.